Dear Editor, For generations, Mullet Bay has been part of everyday life in St. Maarten. We go there with our families, swim, fish and spend time with friends. People earn their living there. As discussions about the property’s future continue, we need to know how our access to the beach and the environment around it will be protected. The July 7, 2026, Court of First Instance ruling confirmed that the beach is public property and was never acquired by Sun Resorts. The land behind the beach is privately owned. Government now needs to establish and publish those boundaries and legally…
Author: The Publisher
SINT MAARTEN – Holding a camera is one thing; telling a story with it is something else. Looking through a VR headset is more than just fun. And a video on social media is not always what it seems. This week, a project by Mediawegwijs and Stichting EGO kicked off in Sint Maarten. Young people from different schools are exploring filmmaking and media literacy, as well as topics such as AI, fake news, privacy, influencers and online identity. Not by learning from a textbook, but mainly by doing and experiencing it themselves. The first day began with a warm welcome.…
by The Wayfinder St. Maarten doesn’t need people who know what to do when there isn’t a dilemma or problem. Every generation inherits problems that the previous generation did not solve. The island doesn’t need people who know what somebody else did in the past. Some problems haven’t even been invented yet. What is one actually prepared for?” Arrange for the unexpected. There is a contrast between traditional education and real-life situations. A proper education system or trainings program is not a factory for producing diplomas and certificates. It is supposed to be a place where people become equipped for…
Dear Editor GEBE OVERCHARGES? The Chairlady of Parliament revealed that the electricity company GEBE overcharges the customers . She further mentioned that this also documented in a report. But she is not at liberty to reveal its contents. Besides her revelations. it is good to note that two of her MP coalition members are former high ranking GEBE officials and at no time were they summoned or questioned by parliament as to their experience in determining the fuel clause as calculated within the company. For a long time, the public suspected GEBE erroneous electricity bills as a result of the…
by The Wayfinder Don’t like the neo word? How about ‘Economic Displacement’, the situation when one still has the right to live here, but increasingly needs permission from a wallet to do so. Traditionally, colonialism meant political control by an outside power. No force needs to arrive with a flag and claim on the island. A cheque book and an attractive offer can sometimes accomplish what military might no longer need to do. St. Maarten may remain politically independent and formally govern itself, while significant parts of its economy are increasingly controlled from outside. That external economic power gradually becomes…
SIMPSON BAY, SINT MAARTEN — August 7, 2026 — GCG, a multinational company specializing in culinary and ground solutions for aviation and diverse industries, and the manager of the Princess Sky Lounge at Princess Juliana International Airport recently hosted a cocktail event bringing together partners from across Sint Maarten’s aviation, tourism, hospitality, and airport sectors. The event gave industry partners an opportunity to connect, exchange perspectives, and strengthen relationships that help deliver seamless experiences for travelers visiting and departing Sint Maarten. The Princess Sky Lounge is part of GCG’s Airport Dining business line, which develops and operates dining and hospitality concepts tailored to the needs of…
Angelique J.G. Romou Launches First Children’s Book on International Literacy Day “Saint Martin, I Love You Just the Way You Are” introduces young children to the beauty, culture, heritage and identity of the island they call home, Saint Martin. PHILIPSBURG, SAINT MARTIN — September 2026 – Educator, author and long-time youth advocate Angelique J.G. Romou, MSc. will officially launch her first published children’s book, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, in celebration of International Literacy Day. The book, Saint Martin, I Love You Just the Way You Are: Yamir and Friends Explore Saint Martin, marks the beginning of an educational children’s…
~ The Joy of Yayoi brings together more than 70 photographs documenting the Japanese artist’s extraordinary years in the Netherlands ~ WILLEMSTAD/AMSTERDAM — More than half a century after Curaçao-born photographer Harrie Verstappen pointed his camera at a then still relatively unknown Japanese artist named Yayoi Kusama, those photographs have been brought together in a remarkable new book. The Joy of Yayoi, by Harrie Verstappen and Jan de Bruin, was published in the Netherlands in August 2026 by art and photography publisher Lecturis. The hardcover book contains more than 70 photographs made by Verstappen during Kusama’s years in the Netherlands,…
by The Wayfinder A bigger number is not always an improvement. Ask anyone who has stepped on a bathroom scale. It tells one how much one weighs but gaining weight doesn’t automatically mean becoming healthier For years, Sint Maarten has celebrated growth by counting visitor arrivals. Before another record is jubilated, one should ask whether records are broken, or whether something else is broken. One should not confuse volume with wisdom. It is easy to count. Becoming better requires thinking. Sint Maarten may be measuring tourism arrivals more accurately than it measures whether its own people can afford to live…
Dear Editor, Sint Maarten has a serious garbage problem. Litter along our roads, illegal dumping, overflowing bins and waste accumulating in our ghauts and coastal areas affect public health, damage the environment and undermine the tourism product on which we so dearly depend. It also affects how we feel about our country and whether basic public services are working. It was right that garbage received attention during the recent parliamentary budget debate. The motions addressing enforcement, reporting, fines, repeat offenders and community involvement are useful. People who deliberately litter or dump waste should face consequences, and residents and businesses must…
